James Beard's Fish Cookery

by James Beard, Harry O. Diamond

"Out of his vast sea of culinary lore, famed gourmet James A. Beard has drawn a giant haul of information on how to recognize, treat and cook fishes, mollusks and crustaceans of every variety and description -- from New England cod to Moroccan snails. Mr. Beard divides the sea creatures of the world into: Salt-water Fish, including well-known specimens like halibut and salmon, as well as stranger denizens like grunion, pompano and barracuda; Fresh-water Fish, ranging from trout to buffalo fish; Shellfish, such as abalone, conch, oysters and scallops; and assorted rare delicacies like Russian caviar, frogs' legs, snails, turtles, tortoises and terrapin. In each case he briefly sketches the fish's haunts and habits, and gives an expert's instructions for baking, broiling, frying, poaching, or otherwise preparing it for the table. And he suggests the vegetables, salads or other accompaniments most suited to these dwellers in the deep -- be they humble or exalted, exotic or familiar. An especially valuable feature of Mr. Beard's book is the introductory section on the general approach to buying, cleaning and cooking the various type of fish; on the sauces, essences and court bouillons so necessary to the preservation of delicate fish flavors; on stuffings and dressings of diverse nature -- and on the concoction of the delicious and subtle sea broths known as fish chowders and stews."-- taken from book jacket flaps from one of the earliest releases.

book history:
1954 book released
1967 new covers (there are few different ones)
1969 slightly different cover issued by Paperback Library
1976 book revised, new title, cover, and illustrator
1987 new cover
1994 new cover – this will be used for the e-books later on
1996 new cover
2009 book is released as an e-book

note about author:
Books would be released not only as "James Beard", but also "Jim Beard" and "James A, Beard". "Jim Beard" is what his books were first published under.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Reference, Nonfiction, Gastronomy

412 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: James Beard.


James Andrew Beard, an expert, wrote several authoritative cookbooks, focusing on American cuisine.

James Andrews Beard, a chef, teacher, and television personality, pioneered shows, lectured widely, and taught at his namesake school in city of New York and in Seaside, Oregon. He emphasized preparation with fresh, wholesome ingredients to a just aware country of its own heritage. Beard taught and mentored generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. He published more than twenty times, and annual awards of his foundation honor his memory.

source: Wikipedia

He published his first books under Jim Beard.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking adore James Beard. Go to your market, buy whatever fish appeals, get home and flip through this book to see what Beard says you should do with it. Squash your instinct to cut down on his recommended amounts of butter, cream, etc. (I have the first edition from 1954). Especially excellent for those who want to firmly grasp basic and uninvasive techniques that allow the fish's own fishliciousness to shine.

[Evelyn Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always hated fish – eating it that is – until on a visit to New York in the 80’s I bought this book. Beard’s enthusiasm is contagious but above all the generosity and simplicity of his writing marked him out as a man worth following. This book changed my life in a taste sense and I now cook fish 2 or 3 times a week. For me this book is a constant companion and one of books I would save if the house caught fire. Another book I will never finish reading however many times I do!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this from a thrift store and … is it weird to describe a cookbook as a page-turner? The author is very opinionated (he calls salmon the fish for plain-taste people - didn’t know I would be laughing while reading a cookbook but what do I know), yet his love for food and cooking shines through. I also learnt a lot about what to do with fish (hello, the Canadian cooking theory?!), so that’s a plus. This is definitely a book I’ll be reading and referencing to again and again.

[Michael McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Recipes, Terrific treatment of salt cod, NO hotlinking or recipe list

If you have a fish or shellfish in mind, this is a great book. If you love salt cod, bacalao, this is a great book. If you're thinking "I'm in the mood forr fish, the Kindle version has no useful tabs of contents and no internal hot links. I had to go through recipe by recipe and highlight each one rho generated an at all useful list. Well crafted recipes, extensive, mostly broadly American, with plenty of European, some some Asian-via-Oregon recipes all from before the gastronomic explosion for which Beard helped light the fuse. That is to say, recipes for which we are more likely to have the ingredients. Especially strong on unusual West Coast salt water fish.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many of his books, this one is a bit dated. However, the emphasis on the fish and uncomplicated cooking is a good focus, and up until the last several years, there wasn't a better cookbook on fish out there.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

*drools*

[Abbe]

Product Description

A healthful, dramatically simplified book on cooking techniques for preparinglow cholesterol, low calorie seafood, with over 500 recipes.